The Hope of Fireflies
by MoonlightSpirit
Summary: Stefan is gone and it's obvious he's not coming back anytime soon. Elena is having trouble coping with Stefan gone, she can't even sleep. But with the help of Damon and some fireflies...maybe one day, her life will be okay again. Songfic to 'Fireflies'.


**So for some reason I've been obsessed with Owl City's song, **_**Fireflies**_**, lately and I wanted to do a cute, romantic fanfic. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Vampire Diaries or the song _Fireflies_.**

Elena tossed and turned restlessly, unable to go to sleep. This wasn't the first time.

She had been trouble sleeping since Stefan went off with Klaus about a week ago. And despite her and Damon's efforts, they had no idea where either vampire was.

Elena had taken to sleeping in Stefan's bed since his disappearance. Alaric was keeping an eye on Jeremy back at their place.

Sighing heavily, Elena got up. Maybe a midnight snack would help her go to sleep. As quietly as she could so she wouldn't wake up Damon, Elena tiptoed out of the room and down the stairs. She jumped slightly when something flickered in the corner of her eye. Elena turned, facing the living room. It wasn't just one flicker, there were several, at least ten, and more coming through an open window. Fireflies that had decided to wander into the house.

Elena walked over to the window to close it…but gasped at what she saw outside.

Rushing up the stairs, the old house creaking beneath her feet, Elena bounded into Damon's room.

"Damon!" she said, shaking him slightly, "Damon, wake up!"

"What?" Damon groaned, rolling away from Elena.

"You _have _to see this!" Elena said, bouncing up and down like a small child as she tugged at Damon's arm.

"Can't it wait until morning?" Damon mumbled.

"It'll be gone by then, now _come on!_" With a groan, Damon pushed himself out of bed and followed Elena downstairs.

"Look!" she whispered, pointing out the window. Because outside was what looked like a million fireflies, lighting up the night. She almost couldn't believe that she was witnessing such a beautiful sight.

_You would not believe your eyes if ten million fireflies_

_Lit up the world as I fell asleep_

"Fireflies," Damon said, unimpressed, "Yeah, they gather around here sometimes, especially when it's really warm."

"I've never seen anything like this," Elena breathed, staring out the window at the fireflies. She glanced at Damon, only to find him staring at her.

"What?" she asked, feeling uncomfortable under his intense blue gaze.

"I haven't seen you this…happy, in a while," he said, smiling at her. It had pained him to see Elena so sad the past week. Not even the birthday he threw for her managed to cheer her up.

'_Cause they fill the open air and leave teardrops every_

_You'd think me rude, but I would just stand and stare_

"Come," Damon said, grabbing Elena's hand. He led her outside, their bare feet ruffling the grass under them. He led her right in the middle of the group of fireflies so that they were surrounded by them.

Elena looked around, pure amazement in her eyes. Here…in such a beautiful fight…it was like the world slowed down and all her worries disappeared. For the first time in days, Elena felt at peace.

_I'd like to make myself believe that planet Earth turns slowly_

_It's hard to say that I'd rather stay awake when I'm asleep_

'_Cause everything is never as it seems_

Elena giggled as the fireflies surrounded her and Damon.

"It's like their dancing," she giggled, watching the small bugs fly around them. Damon grinned, holding out his hand to her.

"Well let's join them," he said, "May I have this dance Miss Gilbert?" Had this been any other time, Elena would have refused. But here…it was like they were in their own world.

"Of course Mr. Salvatore," Elena said with a grin, taking Damon's hand. Damon pulled her close, wrapping his free hand around her waist while hers rested on his shoulder. Damon had only been wearing a pair of pajama pants, so Elena was pressed against his warm, bare chest.

They started dancing to tune in their heads, the fireflies dancing along with them.

'_Cause I get a thousand hugs from ten thousand lightning bugs_

_As they try to teach me how to dance_

_A foxtrot above my head, a sock hop beneath my bed_

_A disco ball is just hanging by a thread_

Elena laughed as Damon picked her up and spun her around. She didn't want this moment to end. For once, her life seemed to slow down enough to be happy…

_I like to make myself believe that planet Earth turns slowly_

_It's hard to say that I'd rather stay awake when I'm asleep_

'_Cause everything is never as it seems_

_(I fall asleep)_

* * *

Elena awoke once again in the middle of the night after a particularly frightening nightmare. It was a recurring one. In it, she and Damon found Stefan, but he was beyond reasoning. He didn't want to come back, he wanted to stay with Klaus. Damon would argue, telling his brother that he didn't belong with Klaus. He and Stefan would shout back and forth, Klaus watching with an amused look on his face, until Stefan finally lunged at Damon, ripping his heart out. Then Stefan and Klaus would disappear into a town and all Elena could hear was screams after that. That was the part of the nightmare that would jerk Elena awake, gasping for breath and covered in a cold sweat.

"Another nightmare?" Damon asked, standing in the doorway. Elena probably didn't know it, but she screamed in her sleep. He could hear her heart hammering.

Elena just nodded.

"I've got an idea," Damon said. He walked over to Elena, surprising her as he picked her up bridal style. Elena blushed as Damon held her close to his bare chest.

_With my door open just a crack_

_(Please take me away from here)_

'_Cause I feel like such an insomniac_

_(Please take me away from here)_

_Why do I tire of counting sheep?_

_(Please take me away from here)_

_When I'm far too tired to fall asleep_

He carried her downstairs and outside. The fireflies were back, but this time, in the middle of them all was a blanket with two pillows on it.

"Yesterday was the first time I had really seen you smile and laugh in days," Damon explained, "I thought maybe sleeping out here would help you." Elena smiled up at him, surprised by his gesture.

"Thank you Damon," she said softly. Damon gently laid her down on one pillow and he laid down in the empty space next to her. They both stared up at the fireflies. Elena snuggled into Damon's chest and he wrapped an arm securely around her body.

Elena wasn't sure when she fell asleep, all she knew was that she woke up with the first rays on the sun on her face. Most of the fireflies were gone, only a few flickering around, heading toward the darkness of the woods.

"They're leaving," Elena said, feeling her eyes tear up at the thought that the beautiful fireflies were gone. They were her hope. Hope that maybe, she could feel the way she felt around the fireflies all the time.

_To ten million fireflies, I'm weird 'cause I hate goodbyes_

_I got misty eyes as they said farewell (said farewell)_

"Not all of them," Damon said. He gestured next to him. On the grass next to him sat a far with holes poked into the lid and fireflies flying around in it.

"It's not all of them of course," he said, "But something for you to carry around today, whenever anything really starts to get to you. I caught them while you slept last night."

_But I'll now where several are, if my dreams get real bizarre_

'_Cause I save a few and I keep them in a jar_

_I like to make myself believe_

_That planet Earth turns slowly_

_It's hard to say that I'd rather stay awake when I'm asleep_

'_Cause everything is never as it seems_

_(When I fall asleep)_

"Thank you Damon," Elena said, smiling up at him, "I know I haven't been easy to deal with lately…"

"It's understandable," Damon said. Elena stared at the far of fireflies, taking in the feeling that they gave her. The feeling that the world wasn't going to cave in around her. The feeling that everything was going to be okay.

_I like to make myself believe_

_That planet Earth turns slowly_

_It's hard to say that I'd rather stay awake when I'm asleep_

'_Cause everything is never as it seems_

_(When I fall asleep)_

_I'd like to make myself believe_

_That planet Earth turns slowly_

_It's hard to say that I'd rather stay awake when I'm asleep_

'_Cause my dreams are bursting at the seams_

"Maybe one day, everything will go back to normal," Elena said softly, resting her chin on Damon's chest as she looked up at him.

"Here?" Damon chuckled, "In Mystic Falls. The Grand Central Station of the supernatural." Elena giggled.

"Okay, not normal, but better," she said. It was obvious Stefan wasn't coming home anytime soon and Elena knew he wouldn't want her sulking over him 24/7.

Elena stared at Damon, who stared the jar of fireflies. Feeling her gaze on him, Damon turned to look at her.

"Why are you staring at me?" Damon asked. To his surprise, Elena leaned up and placed a gentle kiss on his lips. She was about to pull back before Damon put a hand on the back of her head, deepening the kiss. And, to his delight, Elena didn't object to it.

Things may never go back to normal…but maybe they were at least back on the track to everything getting better.

**So there's **_**The Hope of Fireflies**_**! I hope you all liked it! Please Review!**

**Please follow me on twitter! I'll be posting upcoming stories, delays, etc. My name on twitter is _MoonlghtSpirit_. I'm aware of the misspelling, it was on purpose since _MoonlightSpirit _was already taken, I just took out the "i". But it is under the name MoonlightSpirit (with an "i" this time) Follow me please! Link on my profile page!**


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